The 3 things gardeners need to do for hydrangeas to flower continuously until October & how to stop blooms going crispy
By doing these things, it will help stop the flowers turning " brown and crispy", as temperatures heat up.
3
3
3
One sister from the popular TikTok duo, Miller Flowers, shared the advice online which attracted a number of comments, likes and shares from garden enthusiasts.
The Miller sisters, Gina & Caitlin, have grown their following on social media after expanding the flower farm business they took over from their parents around 30 years ago.
Caitlin said these points will help hydrangeas"to keep looking beautiful all season long".
Watering hydrangeas
The first tip is around watering, as "hydrangeas are plants that love water".
It is recommended to water them three times a week, for ten minutes.
Caveat this if your hydrangea is in the soil, but if in a pot it can be watered less.
It is also increasingly important to try to stick to this routine in the heat, which makes it particularly "tough" for hydrangeas to cope.
In the video, Miller Flowers also recommend watering the base of the established hydrangea plants deeply, which can best be done by placing the hose spout underneath the flowers.
Positioning of the plants
Where the hydrangeas are positioned in the garden is also a valuable component to consider for their optimal flowering.
Hydrangeas need both sun and shade.
I tried 'magic' Lidl garden hose - you need to get it, it's perfect for summer
This allows them to grow but still stay moist.
The right positioning in a garden is therefore probably somewhere they can ideally get the morning sun and afternoon shade.
Fertilisation
A little fertilisation can be particularly useful for hydrangeas in climates where it is continually warm.
It can encourage more blooms, and help them deal with heat.
However, it is not always necessary, also depending on the soil used, and time of the year.
Excess fertiliser can also attract pests to the plants, as they look for softer foliage to eat.
Miller Flowers is now a florist, greenhouse and flower farm, as well as a social media channel that provides online education to inspire gardeners.
July gardening jobs
The Sun's Gardening Editor Veronica Lorraine, has shared the tasks you need to tackle this July in your garden.
1. Prune Wisteria
You should only prune back Wisteria twice a year - and July - or mid summer - is one of those times. After flowering cut back long side shoots to around seven buds.five or six leaves.
2. Pinch out tomatoes
Your tomatoes should be really picking up - so pinch out all the side shoots without flowers - and remove all the leaves that are shading the tomatoes - this will give them maximum light and energy.
3. Keep weeding
Hand weeding and hoeing the surface of the soil will keep your weeds under check.
4. Feed Dahlias
To keep Dahlias flowering until Autumn, you must keep feeding them weekly with a liquid fertliser high in potassium - which encourages blooms.
5. Keep deadheading plants
Keep up with deadheading your bedding plants and perennials - so they keep coming back for the season. With roses make sure you're deadheading back to a set of five leaves, giving you the best chance of them flowering again.
6. Check on your pond
If you're lucky enough to have a pond - make sure it's clear of algae, which can really bloom when the sun beats down.
7. Feed your lawn
Whether that's with a liquid feed or granules. If you've chosen granules try to get them down before the rain comes, so they soak into the soil.
8. Tend to strawberry plants
Cut the leaves off strawberry plants after you've picked them - leaving the crown untouched - which should help with next years fruit.
9. Sow extra seeds
July weather is a great time to sow seeds as the warm soil and sunshine is great for germination. Try carrots, winter broccoli and other brassicas.
10. Move young plants into soil
Get any young plants you've got left in the greenhouse - like courgettes - into the soil.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
30 minutes ago
- The Independent
Pete Hegseth looking to bring back Army's aggressive ‘Shark Attack' practice as he slams ‘woke' training: report
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is weighing the return of the U.S. Army's aggressive 'shark attack' training practice as the Pentagon vows to 'Make Basic Great Again.' Hegseth, a U.S. Army National Guard veteran, pledged on Wednesday evening to crack down on what he sees as 'weak, woke' and 'politically correct' basic training. 'Getting back to basics…means getting back to tried, true & tough BASIC TRAINING,' he continued in a post on X. 'When we start soft, we get soft.' Part of Hegseth's toughening-up process could involve bringing back 'shark attacks,' a defense official told military news website Task and Purpose. The practice involves recruits being swarmed by several bellowing drill sergeants to establish dominance at the start of basic training. The in-your-face tactic, which became familiar to veterans of the Vietnam War era when many draftees filled ranks, was phased out about five years ago after being deemed no longer appropriate. It was instead replaced by the 'Thunder Run': a day one training exercise which requires recruits to quickly and efficiently move equipment along a quarter-mile stretch, arranging items in the same way as they were picked up. 'Errors are penalized with push-ups or other exercises,' according to the U.S. Army website. At the time, Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Yaudas said that 'nothing's really changed' apart from 'we're not screaming in their faces.' While some Army officials believe shark attacks are outdated and were rightfully replaced, others think it can be an effective technique to acclimate trainees to basic training. 'It presents the 'shock and awe' effect of soldiers coming into a new environment, which may include a lot of chaos,' Master Sgt. Joseph Harrison, a retired drill sergeant in Fort Jackson, South Carolina, told Task and Purpose. The method, he said, also helps weed out trainees who cannot follow instructions and 'lack the ability to soldier correctly.' Right-leaning news organization Just the News first reported that Hegseth was looking to bring back drill sergeant shark attacks, to which the defense secretary shared on X and responded with a '100' emoji. Hegseth also shared a black and white photo of two Army drill sergeants screaming in the face of a recruit. Hegseth also directed the military to reverse a ban on 'bay tossing,' defense sources told the website. It would allow drill sergeants to overturn mattresses or bunks of military trainees once again, toss locker contents onto the floor, knock over trash cans, and other ways of causing a mess – before demanding that recruits clean it up. According to one Pentagon official, Hegseth said that 'bay tossing' is necessary because tough training equates to 'more cohesive' units. The official told the news site that they want to eradicate training methods that 'breed undisciplined people' and 'wimps.' 'Tossing bunks is back. Drill sergeants are back. Getting cursed at is back,' a Pentagon source said. Pentagon Press Secretary Kinglsey Wilson also shared the story on X along with the caption: 'Make BASIC Great Again!'
Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Grieving dad who saved dying kitten makes special request to animal shelter
A grieving father made a heartbreaking request to a Kansas City shelter after he saved a dying kitten. The Humane Society of Greater Kansas City said it received a call on Monday about a severely injured stray kitten. 'When we arrived, it was evident she was suffering from a previous injury and was in need of immediate medical attention,' the shelter wrote on Facebook. But it turned out the kitten was not the only one in need of help. 'The gentleman hero that saved her requested we name her Hope, because his little daughter just passed and her name was Hope,' shelter staff recounted. 'He said, "everyone needs a little hope, can you name her Hope please?"' Shelter staff were so moved by the tribute that they immediately agreed. Yet it is Hope that now needs some help from us, staff said. 'All four of her paw pads are burned, her eyelid was burned and she has a long road to recovery in front of her,' they wrote as they pleaded for donations to help the kitten. Many in the comments section were moved by the unidentified father's request. 'That's heartbreaking!' one woman wrote. 'Hope is a beautiful name!! So happy she's safe now.' Another added that it is a 'beautiful name [that] fits her well.' As of Thursday evening, the shelter had raised more than $300 for Hope's recovery.
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
Professional cleaner shares 'genius' hack for wiping glass surfaces with two items
Stains on glass surfaces, like mirrors and windows, can be especially annoying because of how visible they are but a professional house cleaner shared a simple hack There are several surfaces that need to be cleaned in the home and one that can be tricky is glass. Two of the most common glass items found in homes are mirrors and windows and it's typical for these to become stained by fingerprints or water spots, especially by young children. Glass is seen as hard to clean because its transparency means any streaks, stains or smudges are immediately visible, unlike on opaque surfaces. It is also a more fragile material compared to others so extra care should be taken when cleaning, ensuring no products are used that could cause damage. A professional house cleaner called Alyssa shares tutorials and tips on TikTok to help others polish their homes. In one video she showed an easy hack to clean glass. The cleaning guru attached a glass cloth to the pole of her Swiffer combination sweeper-mop for 'easy and ergonomic cleaning". Alyssa demonstrated how she uses this method to easily clean windows to get rid of any streaks and stains. In the clip she moved the Swiffer with the glass cloth from right to left then bottom to top to clean the whole window. The caption for the TikTok post reads: "This technique is ideal for maintenance glass cleaning - if your glass is more grimy, follow this process but use a microfiber cloth on your Swiffer first!" Swiffer is an American brand of lightweight cleaning tools, mainly known for its disposable, dry and wet cloths used for sweeping and mopping floors but the professional cleaner's TikTok post shows how it can be used to clean windows as well. The Swiffer Sweeper uses disposable cloths that attach to a flat, rectangular head on a long handle. It removes the need for a bucket when mopping and allows for easy cleaning without hurting or straining your body by bending over, for example. A Swiffer can be used with wet or dry disposable cloths to trap dirt, dust and grime. The head rotates in order to allow you to pivot and reach corners of the surface you are using it to clean, whether it's the floor or windows. Cheryl, from the TidyMom site, shared how she uses her Swiffer to clean her windows, which can be turned in. She starts by wrapping a few paper towels around the head and sprays the window with her cleaner. Then the mum uses the cleaning tool to reach the outside and upper half of her windows. Southern Living has further suggested using a Swiffer to remove fingerprints and toothpaste remains from a mirror by spraying it with a glass cleaner, tucking a microfiber cloth into the four holes on the Swiffer and then scrubbing down the mirror. Alyssa's TikTok video has garnered more than 100 likes and several comments. One user said: 'I do this for tall mirrors and glass.' Another praised: 'That's actually really good Alyssa- nice job.' A third chimed in: 'This is genius!' A fourth commented: 'Looks much easier on the body your way. I clean harder, not smarter sometimes so these tips are great.' Others remarked 'such a great hack', 'love this idea' and 'I always do this in the hard to reach places".
